The DePaulia

Issue date: 7/29/10 Section: Sports

Floating through the air, the disc slowly makes its way toward an outstretched hand. As the player leaps up to grab the flying saucer, he is suddenly bumped to the side by an opponent attempting to prevent the pass. Without the objective ruling of a referee, the players of interest must debate the potential foul amongst themselves.

"A big part of Ultimate Frisbee is the 'Spirit of the Game,'" said DePaul Ultimate Club (DUC) president, Alex Gripp. "The 'Spirit of the Game' is something that is in the rule book and you would compare it to a gentleman's rule in golf. Pretty much all of the ultimate games played have no referees, so you make your own calls."

According to Gripp, the "Spirit of the Game" develops from an appreciation of the game and excellent sportsmanship, leaving the players on the field responsible.

"It really gives you insight into what the game is like and the culture of ultimate," Gripp said.

Although ultimate can be played competitively, the DUC has a more laidback atmosphere and plays to have fun, rather than win.

"We're not one of those teams who has practice everyday of the week and really focuses on conditioning," Gripp said. "We just try to keep the club open and accessible to the whole DePaul community. We're just not at that point as a team or club to take it to the next level."

Practices on Wish Field or at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center are not scheduled during the summer, as many club members are away from campus; however, they did participate in the July 10-11 Ultimate Chicago Sandblast tournament, played at Montrose Beach, and were seeded 31st out of 32 teams in the "Spirit" Division. Sandblast is one of the biggest beach tournaments in the United States and attracts people from all over the country, according to Mike Matthews, captain.

"It's a very exclusive tournament because usually 99% of the teams who go the year before return," Matthews said.

Members of both the men's and women's ultimate clubs participated on the team, which went as the Boston Sunbears. "Sunbear" is the nickname of a player, Adam Flood, on the men's team, although neither Gripp nor Matthews know the origin of the nickname.

"Last year there was literally only one new opening and we were about one of 50 applicants to try and get into the tournament," Matthews said. "Our previous captain kind of fudged a little story together and said that we had a bunch of seniors graduating and we were from Boston and wanted to have a big, going out with a bang celebration and they believed us. So we returned this year as the Boston Sunbears to hold the story together."

Continued...

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